A list of puns related to "Asanga"
I know Culadasa added an extra stage in the beginning but The Mind Illuminated is modeled after the elephant path so what other ways besides Culadasa's Stage 1 is Asanga's 9 step elephant path different from TMI. If you know any books that explain Asanga's path list them below.
> "If nothing is real, there cannot be any ideas . Someone who holds this view is a nihilist, with whom one should not speak or share living quarters".
Sharing living quarters with somebody with different view is bad idea indeed. And it makes marriage impossible.
Hello, everyone! After a discussion with u/yogibattle, it was decided that I will be taking over from here on out. So, first, I want to start of with a big THANK YOU to them for taking it this far, and for giving us this space to talk and reflect on the sutras.
I will do my best to fill their shoes, and if you all have any feed back for me, I would love to hear it! Now, onto the sutras!
III.39 udana-jayaj jala-panka-kantakadisv asanga utkrantis ca
udana: one of the pranas (that carries upward), vital air; jayat: from mastery over; jala: water; panka: mud; kantaka: thorns; adisu: etc..; asangah: non-contact with; utkrantih: ascension, levitation; ca: and
By mastery over the udana vital air, one attains [the power of] levitation and does not come into contact with water, mud, thorns, etc. (Bryant Translation)
All these sutras in the third pada present interesting challenges in discussion, as far as how they pertain to us as humans who do not exist as enlightened ascetics in perfect communion with the universe. So, let’s try and take what’s being talked about here at face value, and then bring it back down onto our plane or existence and ask ourselves how we might relate to it in a much more mundane way.
This sutra is very frank- it’s about literal levitation. There are five kinds of vital airs: prana, samana-prana, apana-prana, vyana-prana and udana-prana, which is the one in question. Udana-prana manifests up to the head and is so called because it carries upward. According to this sutra, if you master the manipulation of it, you gain the ability to levitate. Cool, huh?
But, let’s bring this back down to a level that is more practical to us and to our practices as yogis. Let’s talk about pranayama, and breath control. How have you benefited from controlling the breath in your practice? Is this something you find use for solely on the mat, or has it found use in off-the-mat areas of your life? Has breath control ever brought a feeling of spaciousness or lightness into your body, where it hadn’t existed before? Please share your experiences with us!
Asanga and Maitreya Buddha
Anyway, the great Indian pandit Asanga, so Asanga did retreat for twelve years to achieve Maitreya Buddha, to be able to see Maitreya Buddha, but didn’t see Maitreya Buddha in the hermitage during the retreat, even after doing twelve years didn’t see there. And then, only, so he left the retreat three times. So didn’t see Maitreya Buddha, so I think tried for three years, didn’t see anything, didn’t see Maitreya Buddha then left. He left and then I don’t remember the category, what’s first, I’m not sure anyway, so one time, so he left the hermitage so then on the way down he saw one time one person was cutting a rock with a thread, with a thread cutting the rock, so thread over the rock like this, and then it made a mark on the rock, the rock was worn out. So then he saw this, Oh, this person is, even the thread can cut the rock, so why not I can achieve Maitreya Buddha? Then that inspired him, then he went back to the, he returned back to the hermitage, to do, to continue retreat, to achieve Maitreya Buddha.
Then another three years, I think, he did, something like that, then, continued with retreat but nothing happened. Then he left, he came down and then he saw water dripping on the rock, each drop of water, water is very soft, liquid, but each time, there’s nothing hard, it’s not like iron or, there’s nothing hard, but each time, drop by drop, hitting on the rock, it made a hole in the rock. So he saw this, Oh, why not I can achieve Maitreya Buddha? So that inspired him and again went back to do retreat, to do another retreat on Maitreya, to do retreat to achieve Maitreya Buddha.
Then, tried another, tried three years and then nothing happened. Then he left. Then again he saw, I think it’s an eagle or something, so come out and fly, go back in the nest, go inside in the rock then come out, each time, I think, eagle, it might be eagle, I’m not sure, so each time go inside, flying out, so wing touches the rock, the wing is soft, touches the rock, so the rock is worn out. So he saw this, so by seeing that then again inspired him, so, Oh, even the wing is soft feather can make the rock worn out, so why not I can achieve, why can’t I achieve Maitreya Buddha? So he went back in.
So like this he did twelve years. Then nothing happened even after twelve years, doing retreat, nothing happened in the hermitage, didn’t see Maitreya Buddha. So in the road he saw a wounded dog, a dog which has the lower part of the body full of wou
... keep reading on reddit ➡I've been interested in doing a bit of historical reading lately, looking at the historical sutras and commentaries that influenced Culadasa & TMI the most. Has anyone found some use in such historical texts besides the three main ones ones listed in the book?
From Amazon:
>The first complete English translation of Asanga's Mahayanasamgraha, the most important and comprehensive Indian Yogacara text, and all its available Indian commentaries.
>The Mahāyānasaṃgraha, published here with its Indian and Tibetan commentaries in three volumes, presents virtually everything anybody might want to know about the Yogācāra School of mahāyāna Buddhism. It discusses in detail the nature and operation of the eight kinds of consciousness, the often-misunderstood notion of “mind only” ( cittamātra), dependent origination, the cultivation of the path and its fruition in terms of the four wisdoms, and the three bodies ( kāyas) of a buddha.
" I think it’s very interesting how the Sangha of Maezumi Roshi has handled a similar situation to Shambhala. It sort of feels like a parallel universe..... " Todh T Cat said on Facebook
by System Admin | Nov 3, 2017 | News |
The White Plum Asanga (WPA) was founded by Maezumi Roshi, who was a beloved and brilliant teacher for many of us. He also struggled with alcoholism and was sexually inappropriate with students on several occasions. Our community began to address these issues in 1983. At that time, his misconduct became public knowledge and was talked about openly, including by Maezumi Roshi himself. He completed a rehab program at the Betty Ford Clinic and, for the rest of his life, grappled with these problems and the consequences that arose from them.
The White Plum Asanga believes strongly in transparency around the history of Maezumi Roshi and attending to issues of addiction and abuse within our communities. As part of our commitment to transparency, we also seek to address the allegations that persist to this day. The most serious accusation that persists is that Maezumi Roshi had sex with an under-age girl. The girl alluded to, now a woman in her 60s, has made a declaration that these allegations are false, read her written statement for more details. In order to preserve personal privacy, the WPA does not disclose information about any individuals with whom Maezumi Roshi (or any White Plum teacher) had, or has been rumored to have had, an inappropriate relationship. Of course, the parties themselves may self-disclose if they so wish, as has occurred in this case. The best source to date regarding Maezumi Roshi’s past can be found online in his Sweeping Zen biography**.**
In 1983, the Zen Center of Los Angeles community began addressing the issues of addiction and alcoholism and of sexual abuse and power abuse. Eventually, training on these issues was taken up by the White Plum Asanga, and our efforts in these areas continue to this day. We were trained by Peter Rutter, MD, on power abuse and boundary issues when these issues first came to light in our community. More recently, many of us have been trained by the Faith Trust Institute **on power abuse in the clergy. All of our teachers, both
... keep reading on reddit ➡I'm interested in finding out more about the writings of the 4th century monk Asanga. It says in TMI that the 10 stages are based on 9 stages that he wrote about, but I've been unable to locate these writings. Has anyone managed to read them?
(Asanga) in his Commentary on (Maitreya's) "Sublime Continuum of the Great Vehicle""provides an explanation within citing sutra:
(Maitreya) The beginningless basic element Is the source of all phenomena. Because it exists, all transmigrations And even Nirvana's are attained.
(Asanga's commentary) About this, how is it beginningless? This indicates and posits that in terms of just the matrix-of-one-gone-thus, "a prior limit is not observed." About its being the "basic element,"' it is said,Supramundane victor, this which is the matrix-of-one-gone-thus is the matrix of supramundane phenomena, the matrix of thoroughly pure phenomena." About the fact that it "Is the source of all phenomena," it is said, "The matrix-of-one gone-thus, 0 supramundane victor,- therefore, is the source, basis, and support of nonconjoined, indivisible, inseparable, uncompounded phenomena. Supramundane victor, the matrix-of-one"'gone-thus also is the ·source, basis, and support of the conjoined, divisible, separable, compounded phenomena. About the fact that "Because it exists, all transmigrations [are attained]," it is said, "Supramundane victor, if the matrix-of-one-gone-thus exists, then there is imputation of it with the name 'cyclic existence."' About the fact that "even nirvanas are attained," it is said, "Supramundane victor, if the matrix- of-one-gone-thus did not exist, one would not become disgusted even about suffering, and ·likewise one would not desire, seek, and wish for nirvana".
Can someone explain the pronunciation? Is that correct in Samoan?
edit Thank you /u/supahypnotic for pointing me to this video - yes the "g" letter is pronounced as a kind of "ng" sound in Samoan! Yay learning ;)
Drinking, dancing, singing, and the pleasures of the flesh never fully satisfy. […] . First, those pleasures do not satisfy both the body and mind. Second, they depend on external circumstances over which we never have complete control, and as such are not always immediately available whenever and wherever we want them. [...] On reflection, pleasures are the cause of great frustration and repeated suffering. [...] However, the happiness provided by the Dharma is quite different. It permeates the body and mind at all times and in all circumstances. [...] No enemy and no event can take it away from us, and its benefits continue into our future lives. That is why it is an ultimate goal to achieve. ASANGA (sixth century)
>Asanga was a man who was endowed with the innate character of a Bodhisattva. He became a Bhikshu of the Sarvastivada School, but afterwards he practiced meditation and became free from desire. Though he investigated the doctrine of emptiness, he could not understand it. He was about to commit suicide. Pindola, an Arhat, who was then in Eastern Purvavideha, having perceived this, came to him from that region and expounded the doctrine of emptiness peculiar to the Hinayana. He arranged his thoughts according to what he was taught and at once comprehended it.
>Though he had attained the doctrine of emptiness peculiar to the Hinayana, he, nevertheless, did not find comfort in it. Thinking that it would not be right to drop the matter altogether, he went up to the Tusita Heaven using the supernatural power peculiar to the Hinayana and inquired of Maitreya, the Bodhisattva, who expounded for him the doctrine of emptiness belonging to the Mahayana. When he returned to Jambudvipa, he investigated according to the methods explained to him and soon became enlightened. While he was engaged in investigation, the earth began to quake (of its own accord) in six ways. Since he understood the doctrine of emptiness, he called himself "Asanga", which means "without attachment".
>He afterwards often went up to the Tusita Heaven in order to ask Maitreya about the doctrines of the Mahayana sutras. The Bodhisattva explained them extensively for him. Whenever he acquired any new understanding, he would come back to Jambudvipa and teach it to others. Most of those hearing him did not believe him. Asanga, Teacher of the Dharma, then prayed, saying, "I now intend to bring all beings to believe fully in the doctrine of the Mahayana. I only pray that you, O Great Master, come down to Jambudvipa to expound the Mahayana so that all beings may become fully convinced of its truth."
>Maitreya, thereupon, in accordance with his prayer, came down to Jambudvipa at night, flooding it with great rays of light, had a large assembly of those connected with the Dharma called in a lecture hall, and began to recite the Saptadasabhumi-sutra. After having recited a passage, he would explain its purport. The seventeen bhumis were finished during the nights of four months. Although all were together in one and the same hall listening to the discourse, it was, nevertheless, only Asanga, Teacher of the Dharma, who had access to the Bodhisattva Maitreya, while the others could merely he
... keep reading on reddit ➡> I'll tell you one story to give you an idea of how powerful Bodhicitta is in the mind. Asanga, the great pundit, did retreat for 12 years wishing to see Maitraya Buddha. After 3 years he had no sign of seeing Maitraya and felt that nothing had happened so he left his hermitage. On the road he saw somebody cutting rock with a thread and the rock was worn out even though it was just a thread. He thought, "If even a thread can cut rock, why can't I achieve seeing Maitraya Buddha?" So, he went back to the hermitage to meditate.
> Then, after several more years of retreat, again he felt nothing had happened. He hadn't seen Maitraya Buddha so he left retreat again. This time on the road, he saw a place where a bird wing had touched the rock flying in and out of the nest. He saw that the rock had been worn away even though the bird wing was very soft and the rock very hard. So, he thought, "If even a soft bird feather can wear away the hard rock, then it must be possible for me to achieve Maitraya Buddha."
> He went back to his cave and a third time and after 3 years, he felt that nothing had happened. The third one, I don't remember Maybe you can find out later. So, the conclusion is that after 12 years of retreat, he had not seen Maitraya Buddha and he left his retreat. Out on the road, he saw a wounded dog filled with maggots. He felt such unbearable compassion, so much compassion that he sacrificed his life to the dog. He cut some of his own flesh from his thigh so that the worms would have something else to eat, something to live on. The worms were very fragile and he didn't want to crush them with his fingers so he went to pick them off of the dog with the tip of his tongue. He closed his eyes but couldn't find the worms with his tongue. When he opened his eyes, there was no wounded dog. There was Maitraya Buddha. At first, he couldn't see the aspect of Maitraya. He had seen Maitraya as a wounded dog. But, his view of the suffering dog changed because of his unbearable compassion and cherishing for the dog.
> That service, that unbearable compassion purified all the defilements and negative karmas which blocked and obscured Asanga's mind from seeing an aspect of Maitraya Buddha. The obscured, impure mind made him see Maitraya in the form of a wounded dog. The unbearable compassion completely purified all his karma in that short time. The defilements, t
... keep reading on reddit ➡Please note that this site uses cookies to personalise content and adverts, to provide social media features, and to analyse web traffic. Click here for more information.